farming innovation

Meet five extraordinary changemakers transforming Indian agriculture with bold ideas, indigenous wisdom, and innovations that are quietly reshaping the way India farms, eats, and thrives. This September, Optum Presents The Better India Showcase, supported by the M3M Foundation, is honouring their impact.

This Kharif season, farmers across India are turning to smart, sustainable methods—like using ducks to manage pests and choosing climate-resilient seeds—to grow better crops with fewer resources. These practical techniques are helping protect the environment while improving harvests. Here’s how more farmers can make the shift this season.

Inspired by the precision and density techniques employed in European vineyards, Suraj Panigrahy decided to bring this innovative approach to India’s mango farming. Using drones, drip irrigation, and sensors, he maximises yield by seven times.

In drought-stricken Solapur, a visionary farmer’s gamble on lemons transforms Pothre from a village of despair into Maharashtra’s “Lemon Village”-sparking economic revival, social reform, and a movement for women’s rights that inspires change across rural India.

Jasmit Singh Arora, the 'Gutli Man of India' from Kolkata, West Bengal, is turning mango seeds into saplings and gifting them to farmers. Know how he is helping rural communities shift from unsustainable farming to eco-friendly and long-term fruit cultivation.

Inspired by a moment in the bathroom and fuelled by a lifelong passion for innovation, Kozhikode’s Ashin P Krishna is transforming coconut farming with his smartest and fastest coconut harvesting robot, Coco-bot.

After leaving her academic career, Trupti Dhakate pursued sustainable farming, turning agricultural waste into mushroom crops, helping farmers grow nutritious food while tackling pollution.

When drumstick farming became unprofitable due to low market rates, Dr Kandasami Saravanan turned to harvesting the leaves instead. He launched a successful venture selling value-added products like moringa podi, leaf soup, and powder across the USA, Canada, Europe, and Gulf countries.

Lucknow-based Aishwarya Bhatnagar and Prateek Rastogi run Greenday to promote innovative farming methods and biofortified seeds that benefit both farmers and consumers alike.

Over the past 30 years, Phuman Singh Kaurra from Punjab has been turning his family's fortunes around through carrot farming. He also has a seed bank that can cultivate up to 650 acres of land.